Egerton and UoE Engineering Students in Limbo as Degrees Rejected

The fate of many students pursuing engineering courses hangs in the balance after the professional body charged with offering practising certificates once again disowned degrees from some universities.

The Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) Registrar Nicholas Musuni has released a list of universities it recognises as training schools for engineers.

The list published in the government’s publication, My Gov, excludes Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST), Meru University of Science and Technology (MUST), South Eastern Kenya University (Seku), Technical University of Kenya (TUK) and University of Eldoret, whose websites indicate they offer engineering courses.

Only the University of Nairobi, Moi University, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and the Dedan Kimathi University of Technology have been accredited to offer engineering courses. Egerton University only had Agricultural Engineering programme approved leaving out WEEN, ICEN and MENT.

Others are Kenyatta University, Technical University of Mombasa, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology and the Multimedia University of Kenya.

ACCREDITATION
The University of Eldoret had announced it was awaiting three of its courses to be accredited, and EBK visited the institution last week for assessment.

“The university has been in constant engagement with EBK to ensure the accreditation process is on course and certification is received.

“Irrespective of this pending visit, the university was granted authority by EBK to graduate the first cohort of 66 students during the 5th graduation ceremony that was held on Friday, November 24,” Vice-Chancellor Teresa Akenga said in an advert.

Some students at the university have been skipping lectures to protest lack of accreditation of their courses.

A Fourth Year student at TUK also complained, saying they still attend classes yet the courses are not approved by the agency.

On its website, JOOUST indicates it offers a degree in Constructive Management while MUST has degrees of Technology in Engineering and Architecture, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Electronics engineering(s).

It also has a diploma in Civil Engineering and Electrical and Electronics.

PROSECUTION

Seku has a department of Industrial Manufacturing and Energy Engineering.

The EBK warned heads of institutions against admitting students for the courses, and yet they are not registered, that they would be fined Sh5 million or face imprisonment of not more than five years, or both.

“Section 3(1) of the Engineers Act 2011 makes it an offence for any person who admits into the institution under his charge or purports to be conducting an engineering course, which is not recognised by the board as an institution registered or seeking registration,” Mr Musuni said.